Kings vs Sharks Game 2: The Garbage Collapse

The last game showed one way to lose: a rally by the LA Kings that just came too late. In this game, they started off with a two goal lead, only to unravel in a spectacular collapse.

The first period (what a distant memory!) was fine for the Kings, more lucky than anything else. Jake Muzzin fires a pretty nice wrister past Niemi for a Kings goal two minutes into the period. Then, eight minutes later, Trevor Lewis deflects a Jeff Carter shot to bring the Kings up 2. Oh yeah, Muzzin and Lewis are the Kings’ leading goal scorers which shows why things are about to go downhill.

Going into the 2nd, it looked like the Kings had cleaned things up from their previous game. Things were looking up! Visions of stealing a game at the Shark Tank danced across our minds. But instead, the Kings ask: why fall apart when you can get everyone’s hopes up, AND THEN fall apart!

The next 40 minutes looked like a completely different team. Sloppy passes and line changes led to turnovers galore, failed breakouts left and right, and Jonathan Quick just wasn’t on his game to stop the 7 goals that the Sharks threw his way.

If there’s any evidence that this is not the play of the defensive Kings we all know and love, here it is:

Quite the stat RT @jrbeare: Every single #SJSharks forward has at least two points in this series so far. Two games in.

Many people are quick to say that this was just the Sharks defending home ice, that it’s a best of 7, and that this was exactly where the Kings were last year. It’s not so much the series score, but the way the Kings have loss, with just unsure and sloppy play all around, that has us concerned. These Darryl Sutter line combinations ain’t helping either.

We weren’t that worried after the loss of the first game, but after this one, we’re a little less optimistic. Have a listen:

Diane Phan is a professional awesome person, though often mistaken for a small child and carded at R-rated movies. At any point in time, she can be found drinking beer and rereading the Harry Potter series.